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18 Jul 2014

Now for some good news

This week Bridgit discusses the need for more positive stories about farming to make it into the mainstream media and shares some of the good news stories that are starting to emerge.

Dirty dairying…… over-allocation……why can’t we swim in rivers…… excessive nitrate levels…. The catch-cry’s are all too familiar and are often the headline on a news story about the dairy industry.Or the other big one is the weather – when it rains a lot, blows a lot, snows a lot there is always some hapless TV reporter sent out to brave the eye of the storm to report on the devastating weather event (I often wonder if there is a specific part in journalism training on how to speak coherently and clearly while not looking like you are scared witless that you will be blown away or washed away in a raging torrent!)

Jokes aside, I feel it is important that we all keep on trying to get the positive, happy stories out into mainstream media too. Those stories about when things are going well, the sun is shining, the grass is growing and farmers are out there doing a great job – making a valuable food product to the highest standards that is sought after and respected by people all over the world. Farmers that are being innovative and proactive to keep changing how they go about making that fantastic product to meet not only the changing needs of their consumers, but the changing views of the communities they are part of. Fonterra have recently put up a series of short videos about some of these farmers and it is great to see that some of these videos have already had over 1,000 views. A link to one of these videos – Tony Walters (a Regen customer too) is at the top of this blog. Wouldn’t it be great if that got to 10,000 views!

Communities is also an area that should get much more air-time. Another of our customers, Ben & Sharon Smith, has had to endure another devastating flood on their farm in Northland. I’m going to be doing some baking this weekend to send up to them, and I know that within their community lots of people – from all walks of life and from all over the country will be reaching out and offering whatever help they can. That is community and that is another awesome part of what makes New Zealand agriculture the strong engine it is for our country. That’s sometime to celebrate!